ballie wrote: race 5 star effect the commentator says jockey refuses to ride the horse ,horse gets scratched because no suitable replacement ?any information about this incident
THE STARTING STALLS FOR THIS RACE HAD TO BE REPOSITIONED ON THE TRACK. THEREAFTER STAR EFFECT WAS SUBJECT TO A VETERINARY SURGEON INSPECTION AT THE REQUEST OF JOCKEY M VAN RENSBURG. THE VETERINARY SURGEON DECLARED THIS GELDING FIT TO RACE, HOWEVER, JOCKEY VAN RENSBURG DECLINED TO RIDE STAR EFFECT. A REPLACEMENT RIDER WAS SOUGHT AND THERE WAS NO SUITABLE RIDER AVAILABLE, RESULTING IN STAR EFFECT BEING SCRATCHED. DURING THE LOADING PROCESS GREAT ESTEEM BROKE THROUGH THE FRONT GATE, DISLODGED ITS RIDER AND BOLTED. CONSEQUENTLY, EIGHTINTHEEIGHTH BROKE THROUGH THE FRONT GATE, WAS RESTRAINED BY ITS RIDER, RETURNED TO THE START, INSPECTED BY THE VETERINARY SURGEON, DECLARED FIT TO RACE AND RELOADED. GREAT ESTEEM WAS CAUGHT, BROUGHT IN HAND, TAKEN OFF THE COURSE AND SUBSEQUENTLY SCRATCHED BY THE VETERINARY SURGEON. THESE INCIDENTS CAUSED A SIGNIFICANTLY NOTABLE DELAY TO THE START OF THIS RACE.
b) When afforded the opportunity to place on record his reasons for declining to ride STAR EFFECT, Jockey M van Rensburg explained to the Board that whilst cantering down to the start he was not satisfied with this gelding’s action. As a result, he requested the Veterinary Surgeon to examine STAR EFFECT. The Veterinary Surgeon was satisfied that on a trotting action STAR EFFECT was fit to race. Jockey van Rensburg explained that on a cantering action he felt something amiss with STAR EFFECT and therefore declined to ride this gelding in the race.
